F-1 Student Information

J-1 Student Visa Information

J-1 Student Visa


The J-1 Exchange Visitor Program is administered by the United States Department of State for the purpose of bringing students, trainees, teachers, professors, research scholars, specialists, international visitors, medical trainees, government visitors, and camp counselors to the U.S. for a variety of educational purposes under the sponsorship of an agency or organization which has been designated as an Exchange Visitor sponsor. A Form DS-2019 will be issued to these individuals by the sponsoring agency or organization for entry into the U.S. Students who enter the U.S. in J-1 visa status and who are being financed by the U.S. or their home government, or whose fields of academic study appear on the "Exchange Visitor Skills List" for their country of residence, may be subject to the "Two-Year Home Country Physical Presence Requirement." Individuals subject to this requirement by virtue of their source of funding or the Exchange Visitor Skills List are required to return to their country of legal residence for a two-year period before they may change to another visa status. In some cases a waiver of this requirement may be requested from the Department of State. Some students will enter the U.S. with a Form DS-2019 in J-1 student status. Students who are sponsored by UT (Form DS-2019 issued by UT) should follow the guidelines in the next column. Students whose Form DS-2019 is issued by another institution or organization (i.e. Fulbright, LASPAU, IIE) must obtain all authorizations from their program sponsor.